12. Leprosy, largely eradicated in the developed world, has been unintentionally reintroduced to the United States through the armadillo population in southern states
Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, is a sustained bacterial infection that causes inflammation of the nerves, skin, eyes, and throat. Although transmitted between humans via bodily fluids, contrary to popular opinion leprosy is not highly contagious. The oldest known case of leprosy dates to 2000 BCE, with evidence of the infection present in skeletal remains discovered in modern-day Pakistan. Persisting throughout history, it is believed that modern strains of leprosy were spread worldwide through imperial trading routes and the endemic practice of slavery during the Age of Enlightenment, with leprosy not considered native to the Americas prior to European colonization.
Despite the longevity of leprosy, effective treatments did not become available until the 1940s and 1950s, with the condition historically treated using poisonous mercury during the Middle Ages and exile to isolated “leper colonies”. Although treatable with modern medicine, with 16 million cured in the last twenty years, there remains no vaccine for the infection and leprosy has begun to reemerge as a medical concern even among advanced nations. The United States still identifies approximately 200 new cases each year, particularly in the southern states after transmission believed to stem from infected armadillos.
Also Read: The Remarkable Story of Eyam, the Village that Stopped The Plague of 1666.